If you’ve ever wondered what’s the big deal with bees, keep reading! Did you know that bees pollinate nearly 85% of food crops for people and animals? A staggering statistic! Now that we know why it’s important to help encourage and sustain the bee population in any way we can, perhaps we should begin seeing it as our duty if we want to continue eating!

Bees Need Our Help

The bee population is suffering from a combination of factors, such as disease, parasites, and pesticide use. When trying to rid our plants of undesired invaders, we oftentimes rid them of beneficial insects at the same time. Limiting or eliminating the treating of insects with pesticides could go a long way in helping the bee population to thrive rather than nosedive. Check out this valuable resource for protecting pollinators, including alternatives to pesticide use in your landscaping efforts. 

Name One Thing That’s In It for Me

Natural honey (not the type bought in most grocery stores), while used for such things as topping for your toast, baked goods recipes, and sweetening hot tea, has numerous health benefits. It can serve as a cough suppressant, natural energy source, and contains anti-inflammatory properties. Consuming natural honey is a relatively easy (and delicious) way to support the bee industry. However, as a reminder, do not feed honey to children under one year of age.

It’s All in the Cycle

Bees use pollen that they extract from flowers to pollinate other flowers. They also eat the pollen, which turns into energy to pollinate more flowers. Some of this pollen is carried back to feed their offspring. The more pollination takes place, the greater the yield of crops for our consumption. Of course, the tasty ways we use honey in our kitchen is a result of this cycle. Please keep this in mind next time you see a bee near your picnic table or buzzing across your face! And, most definitely let them roam freely throughout nature as they travel from plant to plant. 

Plan & Plant a Pollinator Garden

Planning and planting a garden that attracts valuable pollinators is an important way to support bees and the bee industry. Achieving year-round or season-round color in your yard is not only visually beneficial for you, but for providing bee pollen. While some areas of the country allow for year-round color, the harsh climates in other areas won’t allow it. In those cases, do the best you can to plant flowers, shrubs, and trees that will bloom early spring to late fall. 

All plants have a set blooming period, so planting those with staggered blooming cycles is considered wise planning. Both perennials (life cycle lasts from year after year) and annuals (life cycle lasts only one year) have plant varieties that are particularly beneficial in providing what bees need. While annuals do not come back the following year, their blooming season lasts longer. A perennial has a shorter blooming time programmed into its DNA. It is best to plant a mixture of both in your garden. You can also plant in clumps which is not only attractive but aids in drawing beautiful bees into your yard. Ensure success by choosing flowers that are native to the area in which you live. Avoid newer hybrid varieties that are sometimes bred for beauty but leave off what attracts the bees: pollen, nectar, and fragrance. 

Providing bees with a nurturing environment is possible with careful thought and planning of your garden design. As a result, you’ll have a beautiful yard and feel rewarded because you are doing your part to help sustain the bee population. All bees welcome means a win-win situation for everyone!

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